“September In The Rain” by Sarah Vaughan, with my college music professor Richard Davis on bass.
Just after auditioning for Richard Davis’ music ensemble he said to me, “If you could read music you would be a bad mother fu***r.” I spent the next three years under his guidance and to this day he still scares me.
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Confession: I have been a mysterious performer. I don’t wear jewelry that reveals my marital status. My face is not on the cover of my CDs. It’s all on purpose though. It’s to remain anonymous, in hopes the music speak for itself.
While I’ve noticed the – ahem – younger musicians are taking the world by a storm by selling their image, a fantasy, with skin, it’s become clear we all play the skin-showing game, even the most talented among us.
If done right, a sexy image can and does sell CDs. This was evident to me in the mid 90’s when a friend bought a CD from a new singer on the scene without even hearing a note. He purchased Diana Krall’s All For You because, as he said, “she shows a lot of leg.” She created the fantasy with that one image. Wonder what he thinks of her 2012 CD Glad Rag Doll…
I was very careful while picking the “back photo” on my first album, My Someday, because it often feels the image can make or break CD sales. It’s my attempt to bring sexy back (no pun intended) by not revealing too much and keeping it classy. Second, the photo has longevity; no matter how much I change, that image has staying power. And finally, I was hoping to tap into those folks (you know who you are) who buy CDs based on the amount of skin seen on the cover.
What I’ve discovered lately though it’s a graceful, balancing act: while I long for more sales and attention, I hope it’s the music I love to share draws in the audience. And as I get more involved on-line, thanks to a gentle push from my social media advisor, I find my anonymity is slowly coming to an end.
I won’t start twerking but I may start tweeting. Stay tuned.
What do you think? Do you think a sexy image sells CDs?
Seeing this blog in its infancy state, I’ll be honest in not knowing exactly where it will go. There may be a few entries about the music industry, vocal techniques, my musings and other inspirations, tricks of the trade – like do’s and don’ts for singers at a “jam” – and perhaps a few behind the scenes stories. (Don’t worry Burt Boice I won’t tell all…..)
As Jay Clayton, a world-renowned vocal coach, once said, “When a vocalist sings her spirit floats over her audience, the ones who want to cling onto that spirit do so while others let that spirit pass by.”
I’m paraphrasing a bit but I’m hoping my blog will cling to a few people aside from my mom – so please stay tuned, visit often, and if you wish, sign-up to receive updates from my blog (sign-up box at the bottom of the home page). And for those who have different styles or interests, well, it’s ok if you let it pass by. I deeply appreciate you stopping by to check it out.
Thank you for visiting and hope you come back soon!
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